Course 2024-2025 a.y.

The course is designed to equip students with a deep understanding of strategic decision-making in global markets and the reconfiguration of value chains and production networks. By focusing on specific countries/regions and on specific industries and value chains, the course will cover the following topics:

• Introduction and conflicting views on globalization

  • Processes at play: economic and social changes
  • Actors on stage: transnational corporations, states, local communities, workers, consumers, social movements and civil society organizations

• Entry and Exit Strategies

  • Examining why firms decide to expand abroad, where they should expand, what strategies to employ, how they can effectively enter, and when is the best time to enter
  • Exploring why firms decide to exit, where exits occur and their implications, what strategies are involved in exiting, how to execute exit strategies effectively, and when is the optimal time for exit

• Emerging Market Multinationals

  • The rise of emerging market multinationals

  • Competitive advantages and differences from developed counterparts

• Reconfiguration of Global Value Chains

  • Organizational and geographical unbundling (outsourcing and offshoring)
  • Organizational and geographical decoupling (reshoring and backshoring)

• Power and Conflicts

  • Addressing social conflicts and corporate responsibility

• Define key concepts related to global markets and strategies.
• Describe market entry and exit processes.
• Identify the strategic options for firms in global contexts.
• Explain the dynamics of global value chains.
• Summarize the role of transnational corporations in social conflicts.
• Explain the components of global supply chain management.
• Distinguish between ethical and unethical business practices in a global context.

• Apply strategic frameworks for market entry and exit.
• Analyze global market opportunities and risks.
• Formulate solutions for competitive challenges in global markets.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of corporate responses to social conflicts.
• Evaluate risks associated with global supply chains and propose mitigation strategies.
• Justify the implementation of sustainable and ethical business practices.
• Simulate strategic decision-making processes in a global context.

• Lectures
• Individual works / Assignments
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

The course aims to enhance students’ engagement with the world and privileges interactive discussions of case studies and group presentations. 

Case analyses provide valuable insights into real firm situations and allow students to apply theoretical and other insights in practical, real-world settings. Digging into the details of cases and considering various perspectives is critical. Students learn to navigate various contexts and identify common themes.

Special attention is given to developing student voices through in-class discussions and group presentations. Teams of students are expected to present their strategic analysis of assigned business cases and defend their ideas before their classmates.

The student assessment is based on three main components:

1. Group presentations (40 points) aimed at testing the ability to organize and manage a project within a team related to the application of concepts and models to business cases and/or real-case scenarios.
2. Peer evaluation (10 points) is designed to verify each participant's contribution within a work group.
3. Final written exam (50 points), based on a mix of multiple-choice and/or open questions related to course materials, which aims to assess the student’s learning level of the main concepts shared in the course, their application as well as the clarity of written communication.

Students are also asked to engage in polite discussion and periodically provide inputs or answers.

Students must make a satisfactory attempt at all the assessment components to pass this course. Points are not percentages. Final grades are assigned based on the distribution of total points in the class and according to Bocconi University rules.

Written exam (100% of the final grade), based on a mix of multiple-choice and/or open questions related to the course materials for non-attending students, which aims to assess the student’s learning level of the theoretical models and the main concepts, as well as the ability to analyze some implications related to them and to use a clear communication style.

Final grades are assigned based on the distribution of total points in the class and according to Bocconi University rules.

• Lecture slides
• Case studies
• Course readings

• Selected readings/books (see detailed syllabus)